1475-85; earlier tardive, tardif < Old French < Vulgar Latin*tardīvus, equivalent to Latintard(us) slow + -īvus-ive
Related forms
tardily, adverb
tardiness, noun
Synonyms
1. slack. 3. dilatory.
Antonyms
1. prompt.
Examples from the web for tardy
Of course there will be exceptions when you have no choice but to be tardy.
Nonetheless, her government's response has been criticised as tardy and ineffective.
The scanner records when she's tardy or absent and even plays a song for her birthday.
These tardy firms continue to over-promise and under-deliver.
Instead, it is the authorities' limp and tardy response to a number of worrying trends that seems to have spooked the markets.
To some, the official reaction was both tardy and excessive.
So expect much tardy reflection among politicians about the police.
In retrospect the studio appears unforgivably tardy.
They've paid for their tardy arrival to the shale gas business.
The disease, being severe, the remedy must be both powerful and tardy.
British Dictionary definitions for tardy
tardy
/ˈtɑːdɪ/
adjective -dier, -diest
1.
occurring later than expected: tardy retribution
2.
slow in progress, growth, etc: a tardy reader
Derived Forms
tardily, adverb tardiness, noun
Word Origin
C15: from Old French tardif, from Latin tardus slow
Word Origin and History for tardy
adj.
late 14c. (implied in tardity), from Old French tardif (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *tardivus, from Latin tardus "slow, sluggish, dull, stupid," of unknown origin. Related: Tardily; tardiness.